What does "judicial activism" mean?

How is it that judges become "activists"? Don't they have to follow the law as set down by higher courts?

Let's explore the legal process for a little while, and see if we can identify how judges make their rulings, and thereby pinpoint the ways in which judges might become what some would call "activists".

By the way, your friendly Author goes by the goofy nickname The Radical Moderate, but he still should have  a measure of credibility when writing about legal issues, since his true identity is Attorney Tim Willoughby, proprietor of Tim's Missouri Employment Law Info Site. But then again, who believes anything lawyers say? (I don't either!)

You would think that the Christian Right would be extremely reluctant to be associated with someone who just might be a cultish self-proclaimed Messiah. Can someone explain to me how the Religious Right justifies its alliance with Rev. Moon and its support for Rev. Moon's business organizations in the USA (Washington Times and UPI, in particular)?

Isn't that a compromise of the fundamental principles of Christianity? Shouldn't the Religious Right be rebuking Moon and working to oppose his growth in power and influence, rather than helping him grow by endorsing  his business ventures and embracing his organizations?